The last frontiers

The upside of visiting an emerging destination is pristine landscapes, reasonable "if not decidedly cheap" prices and the rare opportunity to experience the authenticity of a place before it's overrun by tourists. There are, however, trade-offs: the lack of a good transport infrastructure, rudimentary hotel service and poor medical facilities. Timing a visit can also be tricky in countries where political stability is a relative term. But with an adventurous attitude, the benefits of exploring new places usually outweigh the struggles involved. Ready to lay claim to the next great place? Here are four to visit in the coming year.

Labrador, Canada

The last leg of the Trans-Labrador Highway, a two-lane road that stretches 655 miles from Labrador City in western Labrador through sub-Arctic wilderness and remote villages to the coast, offers visitors a new route through one of the last frontiers in North America.

"It's the first time that you can drive a loop from eastern Canada through the province of Newfoundland and Labrador without retracing your steps," says Keith Small, business development manager at Destination Labrador, a marketing group.

The new section of the road passes to the south of the Mealy Mountains to the seaside communities of Port Hope Simpson and Mary's Harbor, the gateway to Battle Harbor National Historic District, a restored 17th-century fishing village. From there, travelers can drive along Iceberg Alley (Route 513) to St. Lewis, where icebergs are often spotted offshore.

The mostly gravel road is generally driver-friendly, with wide shoulders and fairly level terrain. But it's still remote. Gas, food and rest stops are up to 200 miles apart, and there is little cell phone coverage. To improve access to emergency service, the government has purchased 65 satellite phones, which travelers can pick up at participating hotels, and use free of charge with a credit-card number.

Mid-June to the end of July is the best time for whale watching. For leaf peeping and to avoid summer mosquito swarms, go in September.

Diqing, China

Diqing, in northwestern Yunnan, is a showcase for traditional Tibetan culture with monasteries, villages and dramatic terrain. It is about to become more accessible with an extensive road project expected to widen the current road to the township of Deqin. New tunnels will cut the current six-hour drive from Zhongdian (Shangri-La), to just three hours.

"We believe it's a great up-and-coming area, and we're happy to be one of the first on the ground," says Risa Sekiguchi, product manager for Abercrombie & Kent's Asia and Pacific region, which is developing a new trip to the area.

Diqing is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween Rivers run roughly parallel through steep gorges.

This spring, Songtsam, a small group of Tibetan-influenced upscale boutique hotels, plans to open a handful of lodges including Songtsam Meili, on a bluff with views of the Meili Mountain range.

Using the hotels as a base, WildChina, an adventure tour operator, has developed a week-long trek through the region called WildChina Songtsam Circuit: Secrets of Shangri-La. Travelers visit monasteries and Tibetan families and hike along a pilgrimage route to Mount Kawagebo. The cost is $1,985 a person. Abercrombie & Kent also plans to use the hotels as a base for a new trip in 2012.

Zimbabwe

More than a decade of political chaos, economic upheaval and devastating human rights conditions have kept visitors away from this once thriving tourist magnet. But a new unity government formed in 2009 and relative economic stability are generating cautious optimism.

Some tour operators are returning with trips highlighting the country's majestic Victoria Falls, its cultural offerings and remarkable wildlife.

Wilderness Travel, based in Berkeley, California, has a new 13-day game park-hopping excursion (from $6,695 a person) that includes a two-day canoe safari. Intrepid Travel, an Australian-based tour operator that is resuming trips after a three-year break, is offering 31 African vacations that include a visit to Zimbabwe. The eight-day Taste of Zimbabwe tour, from $2,740 a person, goes to Victoria Falls, and includes a safari through Hwange National Park in a 4-by-4 and a visit to Matobo National Park, where participants track rhinos.

Travelers planning to visit should work with a tour operator with local ties, like Intrepid Travel.

"We are in constant contact with our team on the ground to have up-to-date information about the viability of running our trips through Zimbabwe," says Geoff Manchester, director of Intrepid Travel. "Safety is our number one concern, and we'll continue to monitor the situation but at this stage have no reason to stop running trips there."

Mongolia

Mongolia, one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth, is a land of undeveloped beauty. That may be changing with the construction of the Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine, a project now under way in southern Mongolia, which is expected to give a significant boost to the economic development of the country.

Just 557,414 people visited Mongolia last year, according to the Mongolia Tourism Board web site, though tourist numbers have more than tripled in the last decade. Anticipating both corporate and leisure travel growth, Hilton Hotels, the Rezidor Hotel Group and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts have announced plans for new hotels in the capital, Ulan Bator.

The first to open will be Rezidor's Radisson Blu Hotel, scheduled to make its debut with 175 rooms, three restaurants including a microbrewery, a wellness center and conference facilities. Next year Shangri-La plans to open a 280-room hotel as part of an office, retail and hotel complex.

Ulan Bator is the gateway to Mongolia and a good base for those wishing to explore the country's grasslands, national parks and Gobi Desert.

New York Times

(China Daily 02/13/2011 page16)